Handle for portable articles



May 20, 1941. H. A. AVERY HANDLE FOR PORTABLE ARTICLES Filed Jan. 6, 1939 INVENTOR file/211 613 AT'IORNEY Patented May 20, 1941 warren AT QFFIICE LIP FOR PORTABLE ARTICLES Application January 6, issaserial Naaaasez 3 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in carrying handles for portable articles or bodies, and has for its principal objects to provide an efficient and sturdy handle device, and to provide a handle device offering little protrusion when not in use and including a hand grip element which may be flattened for compactness or arched for use and will remain either flattened or arched until it is desired that its condition be changed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein a preferred form of handle device embodying the invention is shown applied to a wall of a carrying case for a portable typewriter,

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the hand grip element of the handle device collapsed or flattened against the case wall;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the grip element of the handle device drawn out into, and held in, position for use;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the hand grip element, a part of which at one end is broken away;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 7 is a. perspective view of one of the pair of combined anchoring and guiding elements for the hand grip element of the handle device.

In the drawing, l0 designates a portion of a flat and rigid metal wall of a portable article or body to be carried as, for example, a wall of a carrying case for a. portable typewriter, to which wall is permanently connected a handle device by which may be carried the article or body of which the wall is a part. This handle device comprises generally a resilient hand grip element II and a pair of combined anchoring and guiding elements I2 for the ends of the hand grip element, the said pair of elements l2 being permanently attached to the Wall ID of the article to be carried.

The hand grip element I l is of such construction that it is resiliently flexible longitudinally from a normally straight state, but is non-extensible longitudinally. As shown, the grip element l l comprises a strap or bar I 3 of spring steel enclosed in a suitable tubular flexible covering. The covering shown comprises two leather straps or strips l4 stitched together adjacent their longitudinal edges by lines of stitching IF to form aflat tube in which the strap or strip I3 of spring metal is housed. The spring metal strap is is provided adjacent each end thereof with a closed slot l6 elongated in the direction of the length of the strap. Each leather strap is formed at each end thereof witha longitudinal slot I! which extends inward from the adjacent end of the leather strap to the inner end of the adjacent slot IS in the metal strap. Slots l6 and H are of equal width and are located midway the longitudinal edges of the hand grip element so that the slot l6 adjacent each end of the hand grip element registers in plan with the inner portions of the two adjacent slots H, as shown. The slots l6 and I1 render the end portions of the handle more flexible and more readily bendable than the unslotted body of the handle.

The hand grip element ll normally tends to flatten or straighten out into the flat strap form or condition shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5, but may be bowed or flexed resiliently longitudinally. Each of the combined anchoring and guiding ele ments l2 comprises a rigid sheet metal housing and, in the construction shown, is permanently attached to wall l0.

Each element or housing l2 has a flat rectangular top wall I 8 from which depends three walls of equal height, namely, two side walls l9 and an end Wall 20 connecting said side walls, the fourth side of the housing being open. Walls [9 and 20 of each housing are provided with integral pendent lugs 2| passed down through slots or apertures in wall I0 and bent outward or clinched against the under face of the wall In to rigidly hold the housing in place at the outer face of wall W. The two elements or housings are fastened to wall ID with their open ends facing each other and with their end walls 20 spaced apart a distance at least equal to, and preferably slightly exceeding (as shown), the length of the element I l in the straightened condition of the latter. Side walls H! of each housing are spaced apart a distance at least equal to, and preferably slightly greater than, the width of element H to permit free sliding of the ends of element l I in the housings I 2. The height of theside walls and end wall of the housings also equals, or is preferably slightly greater than, the thickness of element II to permit free sliding of the ends of element l I in the housings [2.

The two housings or elements [2 are provided with means 22 for permanently retaining in said housings, for positively limited sliding movement in the housings, the end portions of the hand grip element l l which means are so related to the element II, wall II) of the case or other object to be carried, and the top walls I8 of the two housings, that upon grasping of the straightened element II between the housings and pulling it upward from wall II] said element will be flexed or bowed upward from wall I intermediate the housings throughout the major portion of the length of element II and the end portions of element I I will be flexed or bowed reversely to the main intermediate bowed portion of said element to automatically frictionally bind the un der face of element I I at each end thereof on wall I0 within the respective housings under spring pressure and to automatically frictionally bind the upper face of element II under spring pressure against the inner edges of the top walls I8 of the two housings I2. The means 22 provided on each housing I2 comprises, in the construction shown, an angular extension 22 of the top wall I8 of each housing extending through the adjacent slot It for limited relative movement between the extension and the adjacent end portion of the element I I longitudinally of slot IS.

The extension 22 of each housing wall I8 extends horizontally inward from the medial portion of wall I8 of the housing a substantial distance toward the other housing and then extends vertically downward to wall I0, being provided at the lower end of its vertical portion with a lug 23 which passes through a suitable aperture or slot in wall I9 and is bent or clinched against the under face of wall ID. The distance between the vertical portions of extensions 22 of the housings equals, or slightly exceeds (as shown), the distance between the inner ends of slots I6 of the straightened element II, and the distance between said vertical portion of extension 22 and the end wall 29 of each housing equals or slightly exceeds the distance between the inner end of slot I and the adjacent end of element II, to thereby permit said element II to fully straighten and assume a flattened condition against wall IO with said vertical portions of extensions 22 of elements I2 located at the inner ends of the two sets of slots in element II, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The distance between the outer end of each slot I6 and the adjacent end of element II exceeds the depth of housings It will be apparent, therefore, that, upon grasping of the flattened hand grip element and pulling of the latter outward (as shown in Fig. 3), the main medial portion of the hand grip element II will be resiliently flexed or bowed or arched upward from the wall ID, the housed end portions of element I I will slide inward toward each other until positively arrested by extensions 22, and there will be caused a reverse bending of the more readily bendable end portions of element II with respect to the curvature of the main handgripped and upwardly arched medial portion of element II which will cause the upper face of element II to frictionally bind on the inner edges of the top walls of elements I2 and will cause the lower face of element II to 'frictionally bind on the upper face of wall I0 at each end of element II. The result of the resilient cramping efiect or frictional bind at longitudinally offset points at opposite faces of the hand grip element II thus attained at each end portion of element I I is that said element will automatically be frictionally locked in its arched position of use shown in Fig. 3 and will there remain until a downward force toward wall I8 is exerted on the upwardly arched main or medial portion of element I I. It will also be observed that the de scribed construction affords, with a given spacing of elements I2, a maximum arc of handle element I I available for grasping by the hand.

The abutments 22 permit limited sliding'of the ends of the hand-grip element II relatively to the anchoring and guiding housings suflicient to permit compact flattening of element II against wall Ill when not in use, and to permit arching or bowing of said element II into a frictionally retained position of use. Preferably the inner edge of wall I8 of each housing I2 is bent or rolled upward at each side of extension 22 as shown at 24 to avoid cutting and scraping action on the upper face of the handle element II.

What I claim is:

l. The combination with a manually carriable article, of an elongated and inherently selfstraightening carrying handle for said article comprising a fiat thin steel spring strip enclosed in a flexible cover and resiliently bendable to arch the handle relatively to the article for use and having therein a pair of longitudinally extending and aligned closed slots through the steel strip each spaced a substantial distance from a different end of the handle the ends of the cover for said strip being slotted at its ends in register with the slots in the steel strip the end portions of the handle from the inner ends of the slots to the ends of the handle having greater flexibility than the non-slotted body of the handle between said inner ends of said slots, and a spaced pair of handle anchor boxes fixedly held to the article and each having an open and facing toward the other box for sliding engagement of the handle in said boxes to permit straightening of the handle and arching of the handle between said boxes for use, said handle boxes being so spaced longitudinally of the handle and of such length that each handle slot extends for a substantial part of its length within the adjacent anchor box when the handle is straightened, and each hanle box having a narrow angular arm of less width than the adjacent handle slot and extending from the top of the anchor box a substantial distance toward the other anchor box and thence through the adjacent handle slot toward the article and anchored to the article to form stops spaced outward from the forward edges of the anchor boxes, the said arms entering the slots when the handle is arched to cause the upper surface of the handle to contact the forward edges of the anchor boxes inward from said stops and bind the more flexible ends of the handle on the surface of the article to which the handle is attached.

2. The combination with a manually carriable article, of an elongated and inherently selfstraightening carrying handle for said article comprising a flat thin steel spring strip enclosed in a flexible cover and resiliently bendable to arch the handle relatively to the article for use and having therein a pair of longitudinally extending and aligned closed slots through the steel strip each spaced a substantial distance from a different end of the handle the ends of the cover for said strip being slotted at its ends in register with the slots in the steel strip and extending to the ends of the handle to provide at each end of the handle a long bendable handle end portion having greater flexibility than the non-slotted body of the handle between said slots, and a spaced pair of handle anchor boxes fixedly held to the article and each having an open end facing toward the other box for sliding engagement of the handle in said boxes to permit straightening of the handle and arching of the handle between said boxes for use, said handle boxes being so spaced longitudinally of the handle and of such length that each handle slot extends for a substantial part of its length within the adjacent anchor box when the handle is straightened, and each handle box having a narrow angular arm of less width than the adjacent handle slot and extending from the top of the anchor box a substantial distance toward the other anchor box and thence through the adjacent handle slot toward the article and anchored to the article to form strips spaced outward from the forward edges of the anchor,

boxes, the said arms entering the slots when the handle is arched to cause the upper surface of the handle to contact the forward edges of the anchor boxes inward from said stops and bind the more flexible ends of the handle on the surface of the article to which the handle is attached.

3. The combination with a manually carriable article, of an elongated and inherently selfstraightening carrying handle for said article comprising a flat thin steel spring strip enclosed in a flexible cover and resiliently bendable to arch the handle relatively to the article for use and having therein a pair of longitudinally extending and aligned closed slots through the steel strip each spaced a substantial distance from a diiferent end of the handle the ends of the cover for said strip being slotted at its ends in register with the slots in the steel strip, and. a spaced pair of handle anchor boxes fixedly held to the article and each having an open end facing toward the other box for sliding engagement of the handle in said boxes to permit straightening of the handle and arching of the handle between said boxes for use, said handle boxes being so spaced longitudinally of the handle and of such length that each handle slot extends for a substantial part of its length within the adjacent anchor box when the handle is straightened, and each handle box having a narrow angular arm of less width than the adjacent handle slot and extending from the top of the anchor box a substantial distance toward the other anchor box and thence through the adjacent handle slot toward the article and anchored to the article to form stops spaced outward from the forward edges of the anchor boxes, the said arms entering the slots when the handle is arched to cause the upper surface of the handle to contact the forward edges of the anchor boxes inward from said stops and bind the flexible ends of the handle on the surface of the article to which the handle is attached.

HENRY ALLEN AVERY. 

